Every Future Marvel Movie & Show Hercules Could Appear In

Warning! SPOILERS for Thor: Love and Thunder.

These are the upcoming MCU projects where Brett Goldstein's Hercules could appear next after his debut in Thor: Love and Thunder. Thor's latest adventure opened the door for the MCU's gods and goddesses, and thankfully for all of them, Gorr the God Butcher failed to do justice to his name. Therefore, future MCU installments can borrow popular figures from ancient myth. Most notable among them is the character Hercules, who's set to give praise back to the gods after Thor almost killed Zeus.

Marvel's Hercules has a very similar backstory to his mythological counterpart, complete with a quest for the Golden Fleece, the Twelve Labors, and his death at the hands of Deianira. But being a comic book character, Hercules came back to life not only as an Olympian but also as an Avenger. Ever since his first encounter with Thor in the comics, Hercules has crossed paths with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and he has participated in major events such as Civil War and World War Hulk.

It took the MCU a long while to introduce Hercules, but finally, Thor: Love and Thunder's first post-credits scene revealed that Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein will bring him to life. With the foundations now set for a war between the Asgardians and the Olympians, the question remains exactly which upcoming MCU movie or TV show will feature Hercules' next appearance? Here's every future Marvel movie and show Hercules could show up in next.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Marvel's Hercules and the Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy have become Thor's friends ever since they first met in Avengers: Infinity War. Given how much Thor overshadows them in terms of power, the MCU has to find creative ways to keep them apart. In Thor: Love and Thunder, the Guardians of the Galaxy split off early to attend to various emergencies across the universe, so they may be busy with threats as big as Gorr the God Butcher. But eventually, it's possible that in his quest to find the god who almost killed his father, Hercules comes across the Guardians, who he can use as bait to lure Thor in. This would somewhat flip the "Dark Olympians" storyline from the comics, where the Guardians of the Galaxy released a captive Hercules and hunted down Zeus' corrupted family.

If Hercules does make a small appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he can't have too much screentime. The Guardians will be more than busy with a villain of their own, possibly Will Poulter's Adam Warlock or the High Evolutionary. Still, a quick meeting between them and Hercules would be a nice detail for Thor fans, confirming that Thor and the Guardians have become famous intergalactic figures.

Hercules Disney+ Series

Hercules from Marvel Comics and Zeus from Thor Love and Thunder

Perhaps an easier option for Hercules' next appearance is via his own Disney+ series. Greek mythology is an ideal source of material to pull from, as it is as vast as Asgard and still unexplored by the MCU to date. A Hercules Disney+ series could follow the titular character in his crusade to make the gods relevant again, but it could also take a look back into Hercules' early years and provide a fresh spin on the mythical hero's classic stories. It could therefore feature Russell Crowe's Zeus, as well as other popular gods such as Ares and Hades, and reveal how Omnippotence City came to be or how the Olympians first interacted with the Celestials.

Eternals 2

Alternatively, Eternals 2 could feature the same meeting between the Celestials and the Olympians, but from the perspective of the Celestials and the Eternals. In the comics, the Olympian gods and the Eternals agreed to coexist in harmony despite their similar characteristics. In the MCU, they could come to blows instead, with Zeus and Hercules leading the Olympians against the entities they see as a threat to their godhood. The clashing ideals between the Eternals and the Olympians is a great source of conflict, as the former swore to never interfere in human matters, and the latter seem to seek nothing but admiration. Undoubtedly, their battle could be one of the most visually striking in all of the MCU.

Thor 5

The most obvious installment for Hercules' next appearance is an eventual sequel to Thor: Love and Thunder, which could focus on the set-up one-on-one fight between Thor and Hercules. Thor: Love and Thunder's first post-credits scene sees Zeus command Hercules to hunt down Thor specifically, which suggests that it won't take long for Hercules to find Valkyrie, Thor, and new MCU character Love in New Asgard and demand a battle. The MCU has already used up most of Thor's major villains, so pitting him against a fellow god would be a good way to shake up Thor's solo franchise.

However, there's also the possibility that Thor and Hercules become allies as soon as they meet. Together, they could face enemies like the Midgard Serpent or Cul Borson, or even a villainous Beta Ray Bill who seeks to take Thor's place in Thor 5. Either way, Hercules may not remain Thor's enemy for long, as the Olympian hero tends to side with the heroes in most realities of the Marvel multiverse.

The Avengers 5

Marvel's Hercules and the Avengers in the MCU's Civil War

If there's one movie that makes it possible for every Phase 4 character introduced so far to return, it is the eventual sequel to Avengers: Endgame. Although it remains unconfirmed, The Avengers 5 is one of the most highly anticipated events in the MCU's new saga. An event that gathers all new and established heroes is just a matter of time, and Hercules is a good candidate for the superhero team having joined many iterations of the Avengers in the comics. However, Thor: Love and Thunder's post-credits scene suggests that Hercules is the perfect dark antithesis to Thor, which would equally make him an ideal member of the MCU's Dark Avengers.

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